How to Write Networking Emails

Is your Career Services telling you that networking is very important and you need to reach out to alumni and other contacts?

They are right. In the U.S. a full 80% of jobs are landed through networking.

But we can also picture what's going through your mind. “Reach out? How? I don’t know these people..”

We hear you. It, is, after all, a rather bizarre dance even to the most seasoned of networking ninja American students. It is doubly difficult for international students and other foreign applicants who are not used to U.S.culture or the language nuances of these “chatty but concise, personal but professional” notes.

So, we’ll show you how to write these emails. Yes, every one of them. The all-important thank you note after interviews, the scary alumni reach-out on Linked In, and the unforgettable follow-up email after you've met someone important and would like them to never ever forget you.

We know it’s not enough to tell you how (see previous point on language and culture); we need to show you how. Therefore, we prepared a Careerly Guide with 8 common emails that you can use as templates or examples. As always, it goes without saying, do not copy word for word.

Again, please remember, a whopping 4 out of 5 jobs are landed through networking - i.e. through a network of friends, family, colleagues, and professional and personal contacts. Only 1 out of 5 are found 'cold' through simply applying for them on company websites or online job boards, and even there, usually the candidate followed up with a human being in HR or another department.

If you can’t be bothered with the Guide, fine. at least remember these basics:

About CAREERLY

We are an industry segmented job search, career strategy and coaching company. We work closely with Top 20 university career services programs, both undergraduate and graduate, with a focus on banking, finance, tech, product marketing, strategy consulting, tech consulting,operations, non-profit, international project finance, and international development.